Panama Hotel - 25th & Strand

The Panama Hotel was built in 1912 as a terminal hotel to serve the Union Station across the street.

.....Quoting from the Galveston Daily News of December 29th, 1912:

.....The Panama, Galveston's newest downtown hotel, located on the southeast corner of Twenty-fifth street and Strand facing the site of the half-million-dollar addition to the Union Passenger Station, will be thrown open to guests during January, according to announcement made by J. W. Spangenberg, who has leased the hostelry for a period of ten years. The contractors are rapidly finishing up the interior, and the furnishings, which have been purchased by Mr. Spangenberg are beginning to arrive.
.....The Panama is a four-story fireproof structure, built of brick and reinforced concrete, and with furnishings will cost approximately $125,000. It was built by W. L. Avery of Groveton. There are 125 rooms, forty of which have baths. All rooms have running hot and cold water and steam heat, and the equipments is all modern and first class. The furnishings will be mission style , with rugs for floor coverings. All floors are of cement with the exception of the ground floor, which is tiled.
.....""The Panama will be operated on the European plan," said Mr. Spangenberg. "I shall attempt to make it a first-class terminal hotel and believe there is room in Galveston for such an institution, where popular prices prevail and at the same time the traveling public and others are given comforts of the best character. I have great faith in Galveston and believe the city will double its population within a few years. In my hotel experience I have found that good hotels are the forerunners of a city's growth and upbuilding, other things being favorable to that end."
.....Mr. Spangenberg has been in Galveston since June. For several years he owned and operated the Plaza hotel at Brownwood. He came to Texas from Chicago.